front sight tool

[Vinnie]

where can I purchase the tool to stake on the front sight? what is it called? any help or links would be appreciated.

[Brian D.]

Brownell's in Nebraska. brownells.com I think. Do yourself a favor though and get a catalog from them on your first "visit"--the book's easier to navigate than the site!

[kotonk]

another option is from kings gun works (http://www.kingsgunworks.com/newcatalog/page06.html).

-kotonk

[Vinnie]

thank you very much.

[1911Tuner]

A word on staking front sights...

The tenon area inside the slide needs to have a "well" for the tenon to flow into to positively retain the sight. I use a small carbide burr or a round grindstone bit in a Dremel to accomplish this. It doesn't have to be deep...it just has to be there. The area will need to be dressed afterward to allow the
bushing to fit the slide. I do this operation with the large sanding drum
attachment in the Dremel, and do the final fit with a little lapping compound
and a bushing wrench. Careful with that sanding drum...A light touch and patience.

Luck!

Tuner

[Gammon]

The best tool I have found for the job is made by MMC. It is a jig that locks the front sight in place while the tenon is swaged by a shear that fits into a hole in the lower part of the jig. The tool is easy to use because it holds the front sight firmly in place during the staking (swaging) procedure. I have installed over half a dozen sights with mine without any problems. The bad news is that it isn't cheap at about $100.00. I have saved a lot of money with my tool because I now use it to install extra tall front sights which I use in conjunction with Novak fixed rear sights. The Novaks can be drift adjusted for windage and I the file the extra tall front sight down to get the proper elevation. This sounds like more work than it really is, and you only have to do it once. What I mean by saving money is that this Novak set up is just as good as a set of BoMars, except for the adjustment. I found that once I had adjusted the BoMars on a 1911, I never touched them again, unless some thing drastic happened to the pistol. Considering that it costs well over $200.00 to have a set of BoMars installed and less than $40.00 to install your own set of Novak fixed sights, the MMC tool can be a downright bargain. I am now shooting two Para P-16s, one with Bomars, and one with the Novaks and can't honestly say that one sight is superior to the other, but I do know which one cost more.
PS the tool and front sight blanks can be bought from Brownells'